What is the Best Way to See Casablanca, Morocco?
Should You Explore Casablanca on Your Own or Take a Tour?
In December of 2022, I traveled to the African continent for the first time. To get to Africa, I flew into Casablanca, Morocco, on Royal Air Maroc. While the main reason for my visit to Morocco was to tour the Sahara Desert, I wanted to spend a day seeing the main sights of Casablanca. The issue was that I only had 36 hours to spend in Casablanca, so I had to decide what was the best way to see Casablanca, Morocco.
I figured I had two options; either explore Casablanca on my own or take a tour. From my research, Casablanca is fairly safe, and when walking around the city, tourists only need to take general safety precautions. At the same time, I really had not done a lot of research on the top attractions of Casablanca. I knew I wanted to visit the Hassan II Mosque, Rick’s Cafe, and the Old Medina. When looking at tours, I found that almost every tour had those three attractions included. After careful consideration, I decided that, for me, the best way to see Casablanca, Morocco was to take a tour.
What is the Best Way to See Casablanca, Morocco? - Table of Contents
- Should You Explore Casablanca on Your Own or Take a Tour?
- About My Tour of Casablanca
- Walking the Casablanca Boardwalk
- Walking the Boulevard Corniche
- Visiting Rick’s Cafe from the Movie Casablanca
- A Guided Tour of the Hassan II Mosque
- Walking Around the Old Medina of Casablanca
- Casablanca City Tours and Packages
- Support Buzzin’ Around the World – Visit Our Affiliates
- Earning Points and Rewards
- Related Content
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About My Tour of Casablanca
I booked my tour of Casablanca with the tour company “Premium Transfers and Tours.” This company provided such great service that I used them multiple times throughout my time in Morocco for transportation to and from the airport/train station.
The tour I booked cost just under $100 and lasted about six hours. Due to my transatlantic flight the day before, I chose the 1:30 pm tour. Doing so allowed me some additional time to sleep in and adjust to the time zone.
At exactly 1:30 pm, a van arrived, and I was introduced to our driver for the day, Amin, and our guide Abel. Joining us were five other tourists from Europe and Asia.
The tour of Casablanca included the city’s main tourist attractions. Throughout the six-hour tour, we stopped at the Casablanca Boardwalk, Boulevard Corniche, Rick’s Cafe from the movie Casablanca, the Hassan II Mosque, and the Old Medina of Casablanca. Abdel rearranged the order of the stops so we could visit the outside attractions before an incoming rainstorm hit.
I thoroughly enjoyed this tour and give Premium Transfer and Tours my highest recommendation.
Before our tour began, Abdel told us about the slums that we would see throughout the city. Apparently, the people who live in the slums of Casablanca can live there for free. All of the living expenses are covered by the government. According to Abdel, people take advantage of this by living in the slums for free and saving all their money. He told us that the people that live here are able to afford housing but choose to live in the slums to be able to bank all the money they make while working.
The photo below shows a slum located directly behind some colorful apartment buildings.
Walking the Casablanca Boardwalk
The first stop on our tour of Casablanca, Morocco, was the newly constructed Casablanca Boardwalk. According to Abdel, the people of Casablanca had been complaining about a lack of green space. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Morocco constructed a boardwalk along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2022, the boardwalk covered over 20 km’s of shoreline.
There are great views of the Hassan II Mosque from the Casablanca Boardwalk. The Hassan II Mosque is the most famous building in the city of Casablanca, and we toured it later in the day.
As we walked the boardwalk, I took photographs looking in each direction. On the side opposite the Atlantic Ocean were a mix of apartment buildings, condos, shopping, and restaurants.
We spent about 20 minutes walking around the Casablanca Boardwalk. Eventually, we came to an area where the boardwalk met the road, and our driver, Amin, was waiting for us. While Abdel, our guide, led us around, Amin had driven the van about a kilometer down the road so we wouldn’t have to retrace our steps.
Walking the Boulevard Corniche in Casablanca
The second stop on our tour of Casablanca was the famous Boulevard Corniche. This street follows the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean and is a popular tourist destination during the summer when cruise ships are common. Amin dropped us off near the El Hank Lighthouse, and Abdel told him to meet us further down the boulevard about thirty minutes later.
The El Hank Lighthouse has been in service since the 1920s and emits a flash of light every 15 seconds to warn ships of the coastline.
As we walked along the Boulevard Corniche, we passed numerous hotels, restaurants, and beach clubs. Abdel explained that during the height of cruise season, Boulevard Corniche would be extremely crowded. During our visit, it was Friday afternoon, and the Friday Prayer was taking place. Since most Moroccans follow Islam, the streets were empty as the residents of Casablanca were at the city’s many mosques.
After walking for about thirty minutes, we had a great view of the El Hank Lighthouse. In the photo below, you can see the necessity of the lighthouse as it is on a point that stretches out into the Atlantic.
Hiring a guide or taking a tour is definitely the best way to see Casablanca, Morocco. Abdel knew all of the best locations for taking photos. He also explained that the resorts along Boulevard Corniche had tidal pools. These pools filled up with water during the high tide.
Visiting Rick's Cafe from the Movie Casablanca
The famous 1942 movie Casablanca was supposedly filmed at Rick’s Cafe in Casablanca, Morocco. According to Abdel, our guide, the movie was actually filmed in the United States, and Rick’s Cafe in Casablanca, Morocco, was created to look like the restaurant/bar made famous in the movie.
Abdel said that Rick’s Cafe is one of the places that tourists typically want to see during a tour of Casablanca, Morocco. Our group had little to no interest in Rick’s Cafe, and we only spent about five minutes photographing the exterior. To show you how little I know about the movie Casablanca, my mother posted on one of my social media accounts, “Play it again, Buzz!” and I had no idea what she was talking about.
A Guided Tour of the Hassan II Mosque
The highlight of my tour of Casablanca, Morocco, was a visit to the famous Hassan II Mosque. As we arrived at the Hassan II Mosque, it began to rain. Thankfully, there was a covered walkway to get from the ticket office to the Mosque.
The Hassan II Mosque is the largest in Africa and the seventh largest in the world. The Mosque is fairly new, as it was constructed in 1993 under the guidance of King Hassan II. This portion of this page only features a short summary of my trip to the Hassan II Mosque. For a longer, full description of my tour of the Mosque, please click HERE.
The Hassan II Mosque was the largest Mosque I’ve ever visited. Upon entering, we were introduced to an English-speaking guide who worked for the Mosque. Abdel was not allowed to join us for our tour of the Hassan II Mosque. As is common in mosques, we also had to take off our shoes. Since they were wet from the rain, we were given a shoe bag to carry our shoes. In total, there were about fifty people in our English-speaking tour group.
The inside of a mosque does not contain any photos of people. This lack of photos is because Muhammad, the main prophet of Islam, did not want anyone to worship him as an idol. Instead, Muslims are supposed to focus all of their attention toward Allah (God). Instead of displaying images of Muhammad or the other prophets of Islam, mosques are decorated with geometric shapes.
Below is the ceiling of the Hassan II Mosque. This ceiling covers the main prayer hall and is retractable. During the hot summer months, the roof can be opened to provide a cool breeze coming off the Atlantic Ocean.
Below the main prayer hall is the wudu area or the area for ablution. This location is where Muslims wash their hands, faces, arms, and feet before praying. There are two separate wudu areas, as men and women need to perform the ablution separately. Each area has 45 fountains for washing that are supposed to look like lotus flowers.
In addition to the 45 fountains, each wudu area has 600 taps along the walls.
The Hassan II Mosque was the highlight of my time in Casablanca. If you only have time to see one tourist attraction in Casablanca, make sure it is the Hassan II Mosque.
Walking Around the Old Medina of Casablanca
The final stop on our tour of Casablanca was the Old Medina of Casablanca. The Old Medina is the oldest part of the city and typically is full of locals and tourists visiting hundreds of tiny shops. We visited the Old Medina on Friday, which is the Day of Prayer for followers of Islam, also known as “Al-Jumah.” Due to visiting on Friday, the majority of the shops and kiosks were closed. Abdel still suggested that we spend a few minutes walking around the narrow streets of the Old Medina.
It was interesting walking around the Old Medina even though most of the shops were closed. Later in my visit to Morocco, I was able to experience the chaos of walking around the Medina of Marrakech. I assume that the Old Medina of Casablanca is a similar experience when crowded.
Located near the Old Medina of Casablanca is the Jamaa Chluh Mosque. This mosque dates back to 1899.
After we visited the Old Medina of Casablanca, our tour came to an end. I was impressed with how much I was able to see during the six-hour tour. I highly recommend taking a tour of Casablanca, especially if you have limited time.
Casablanca City Tours and Packages
In my opinion, the best way to see Casablanca is to take a tour. Below are various tours and packages that should suit a variety of travelers. Please note that I am an affiliate of Viator. If you purchase a package using one of my links, I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no additional cost to you.
Prices are accurate as of November, 2023.
 Private Half-Day Guided Tour of Casablanca - $94.53 Casablanca half day sightseeing tour with private tour guide and private vehicle to visit the famous sights in Casablanca or “White House”, in Arabic Dar El Beida. This private tour is just for you, ensuring you’ll receive personalized attention from your guide. |
 Casablanca Guided Sightseeing Tour - $76.86 Explore the cultural, historical and economic center of Morocco. Casablanca or what most people call it Dar El Beida sightseeing tour is a great way to get an overview of the city. |
 Casablanca Private Walking Tour - $166.94 Welcome to Casablanca, a modern city and the main gateway to Morocco. A combination of Moorish style and European art deco, Casablanca holds the promise of outstanding sensations. The city's French colonial heritage is seen in its downtown. Its rich architectural heritage is admired by the visitors. This Moroccan city is known for having one of the largest mosques in Africa. |
 Casablanca City Tour (From Casablanca - Half Day) - $72.99 Embark on a half-day exploration of Casablanca and discover local secrets. See impressive architecture; wander through vibrant markets and exterior tour the splendid Hassan II Mosque on this beautiful coastal Tour. |
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